In With A Bullet
by tealeyedmoon69
Summary: They were both broken; empty shells of two beings, who once had enough strength to conquer the world. But with all of their hurt, will the world conquer them? Or can they join together and get rid of their pain? AU, HitsuKarin
1. Prologue

_Someone asked me if I_

_Missed you… I didn't_

_answer I just closed my_

_eyes, walked away and_

_whispered "SO MUCH"…._

"_Yeah, right, Ichigo. You wouldn't stand a chance against me. I'll beat your ass at the soccer game."_

"_Watch what you're saying, Karin!" Yuzu had shouted. "The neighbors might get angry."_

"_Relax, Yuzu," Ichigo threw a lopsided smile at her. "It'll be alright."_

**Yeah, right, Ichigo. Who were you kidding?**

"_Are you ready? Or are you going to chicken out on this, Ichigo?" Karin smirked as she tossed the ball with her right hand, kicking it effortlessly on her knee._

"_Watch what you say Karin. You might have to bite your words." Ichigo turned his attention to his other sister, bending into a defensive position._

"_Be careful!" Yuzu called from the porch._

**Had you known, too, Yuzu?**

"_Dammit," Karin cursed as the ball flew past her. "Ichigo! You're such a cheater!"_

"_Am not," he laughed. "Face it, Karin. You'll never be as good as me."_

_Karin watched as the ball settled in the grass, a few feet into the imaginary boundary that was her goal. She stuck her tongue out at Ichigo , who laughed at her expression. "I'll get you-"_

"_-my pretty, and your little dog too."_

_They all turned to see their father standing at the door. He was barely holding back a laugh._

_Ichigo looked at him in mock disgust. "I can't believe I actually came from him."_

_Karin started to laugh. Choosing that moment, she kicked the ball, and it flew past an unsuspecting Ichigo._

"_Hey," he called, "now _that_ was cheating." Even as he went to get the ball, you could see the smile in his eyes._

"_Was not! You weren't paying attention. It was totally fair. Right, Goat Chin?"_

**No. No. No.**

"_Dad?" Karin looked at Ichigo questioningly. He shrugged, and started to head to the house. An uneasy feeling went through Karin as she watched Ichigo enter their home, and he suspicions were confirmed when she heard yells, and an unforgettable scream._

"_ICHIGO!"_

**Yuzu…**

"_Yuzu!" Karin yelled as she followed the rest of her family. Pushing past the junk that cluttered their kitchen, she saw why Yuzu had screamed._

"_ICHIGO!" _

**Ichigo…**

_It turned out to be of a plea this time, a plea that came much too late._

"_Yuzu!" Karin screamed to her sister, rushing to hold her. She ignored the sight of her brother, his throat slashed, blood seeping away as their already dead relative stared with blank eyes at an unseen memory. She held onto her sister as if she would not see her tomorrow, because she just might not. _

"_What happened, Yuzu?" she pleaded, trying to make sense of the situation. _

"_The man…" Yuzu sobbed. _

"_What man?"_

"_The one that got Daddy first…"_

**Dad…**

"_WHAT?" Karin screeched. _

"_H-he… got me…too…"_

_She felt Yuzu cough, and something wet ran down her face. Lifting a hand to it cautiously, she saw what had been so common throughout their home. _

**Blood…so much blood…**

"_Yuzu?"_

_Her sister detected the panic in her voice, and she pulled back. Karin could now see what she had missed before; a big hole cut through Yuzu's chest, staining her clothes and causing her to lose her life._

"_Yuzu?" Karin's voice had a pleading tone to it. "Don't die, Yuzu. You can't die. We're in this forever, right?" She felt tears slip down her face. _

_Yuzu offered her a sweet smile, a thin trickle of blood escaping from the corner of her mouth. "S-sorry, Karin. I guess you'll have to live for me…"_

**Live for me…**

**Live…for…me…**

_And she was gone._

**How can I live for you when I don't feel like living for myself?**

"_Police!"_

"_Help. Help. Help."_

"_In here!"_

"_Honey, can you tell me your name?"_

"_Oh, god, I'm gonna throw up."_

"_What the hell happened here?"_

"_Any survivors?"_

"_Any survivors?"_

"_Any survivors?"_

"_In other news today, a family was brutally murdered in their home. Police are saying that it was a robbery gone bad. Occurring around 7 this evening, police are saying that there is a sole survivor. Police refuse to give out this person's name, because he or she is a minor. It is hard to believe such a tragedy could occur in Karakura town. There are no suspects in custody, as the police think the perpetrators fled the scene."_

**Yuzu, Ichigo, Dad…**

**Did you ever think of me as you left me behind? Did you ever once think about how broken I'd be? How lost my world is when you're all gone?**

Present day:

"No family," the foster home runner whispered. She snuck a look to where Karin was staring out the window the viewed the lake.

"Yes," the social worker said. "Her family was killed in a robbery at their house." 

"_This _is the survivor?" She stole another glance at Karin. "Wow…"

Without warning, Karin looked at the two of them. Well, more like glared at them. She picked herself up from her seat, wincing as she put weight on her leg. It had fallen asleep as she had listened to the adults talk. She didn't see why she needed someone to take care of her, when Orihime and Chad lived by themselves.

Orihime and Chad. **Ichigo's** friends. Karin blinked back tears, pushing her way outside.

"Karin," the lady called after her.

"Don't try." The social worker sighed and sat back down in the chair. "You're wasting your breath. That child is not going to cooperate. She's been like this ever since it happened." After a minute of staring at each other, the social worker got up. "We'll keep in touch."

He sighed as he went to the car. Opening the door, he didn't even glance in the passenger seat of the car. "Listen, Karin," he said as they drove to the next place, "you can't keep doing this at every home. Suck it up and fine a place that you like, dammit." He looked over to the passenger's seat, only to find no one. Frantically, he pushed the brakes and looked throughout the car, ignoring the honks of others and the fingers he was receiving.

"Where the hell are you, you little brat?" he cursed. By the time he had gotten back to the building, though, she was already long gone.

And that was how Social Worker Marechiyo Omaeda's day went from crappy to a whole lot worse.


	2. Rainy Days and Times of Pain

_You never know what you have until you lose it, and once you lose it, you can never get it back._

Karin had stormed out of the office as tears had swelled in her eyes. Pushing the doors to the house open, she ran down the steps into the darkening sky of the afternoon. Clouds hung overhead as she turned left down the street, ignoring the stares that she received. She hastily wiped the few tears that had escaped down her cheeks in an angered swiped of her sleeve.

**Pull yourself together, dammit. What are you crying over?**

It was only a month after the brutal killing of her family, and after being released from the hospital a week earlier (she had no injuries, but they wanted to make sure she was okay mentally) she had been shepherded to many homes by that Omaeda person, who always seemed to be eating something, and had a dislike for Karin, trying to find her new 'home'. Every person would whisper about her, stare with tears in their eyes, before quietly coming up with an excuse to turn her away. "We have too many children already" or "We only take boys" or any number of other excuses had been heard by her in the course of a week, and she was sick of it. Not that she needed any of them. Being only fourteen, she was 'too young' to live alone, and with her family's killer still on the loose, the police were afraid of her being targeted.

**But what kind of robber would want to kill me?**

Karin ran into an unfamiliar part of the town, getting jostled by all of the people who occupied the sidewalk. She slowed her pace when she was sure that she would be lost in the crowd, and took a deep breath. The tears had stopped flowing, and if you were to look at her, you would only barely see the tracks the tears had left, the puffiness of her eyes. If you looked at her eyes, you would only see their color. All of the spark they had held a month previous was lost, an eternal state of emptiness seeping in.

To those who didn't know better, one would think she had died along with her family.

_(Toshiro):_

"_Toshiro…get out of the bathroom already."_

"…"

"…_Toshiro?"_

"…"

"_Toshiro? Come on, get out! What are you doing?" His voice went from angry to pleading. After a minute of pounding with no response, the little six-year old ran through the house to his mother. _

"_Help! Toshiro's in the bathroom and he won't come out! He's not answering, and I can't hear anything!"_

_Two sets of feet pounded up the stairs, and a new voice joined in the little boys cries._

"_Toshiro? Open this door right now!"_

"_..."_

_A crash sounded through the house as the door that previously led to the bathroom was unhinged, and a scream followed suit.  
"TOSHIRO!"_

_Said boy was draped over the counter, his face in the sink. An empty bottle of pills lay in his hands, a few still rolling on the counter. His breath came in quick, short breaths, and a sheen of sweat was covering his forehead. His eyebrows were drawn together as his body tried to keep him alive._

"_Yuichi, call an ambulance!" The woman didn't wait for him to go, wasting no time in pulling the dying boy to the floor. He groaned softly, and she felt as though she was going to puke. "Toshiro." _

_No response._

"_Toshiro," she said again, this time lightly shaking the boy. He groaned and she almost sighed in relief. If he had the energy to groan then he wasn't completely gone. "Stay with me. Stay with me."_

_It seemed as though no time and forever had passed before the white haired boy was taken away by paramedics, and she was bombarded with questions. 'What did he take', 'How long ago did he o'd?'_

"_I don't know," she cried, wanting nothing more than to see Toshiro._

"_I don't know."_

(Karin)

Karin had been wandering the town for a few hours now, following the throng of people for the majority, never choosing her own direction to go. She glanced up at the sky, and was greeted by a rain drop to the forehead. The storm quickly progressed, and wind snaked its way through the crowd of people, a crowd, which Karin saw, was quickly beginning to dwindle. That was when Karin realized that running away hadn't been such a smart idea.

"Crap," she muttered to herself, involuntarily shivering in the street. She knew it was futile to get out of the rain now; most of the stores were closed and she was already soaked to the bone. She continued walking in the direction she had started, finding nothing else to do.

The city slowly transformed into suburbs, and the roads got darker as the street lights came in farther intervals. She didn't mind though. With all of the people whom she had visited, she reveled in the silence which was only broken by her footsteps and the pattering of the rain from the heavens.

_(Toshiro)_

_It was unexpected when, after taking a bottleful of pills, to find yourself waking up. _

_**Dammit. I knew I should have done it in my room. Damn Yuichi and his small bladder. **_

_Doctors looked at him with guarded expressions, and Toshiro could tell what they were thinking: 'Look, it's the kid who tried to kill himself.'_

_Toshiro would have said something if he wasn't attacked by his aunt. She latched onto him as if he was going to die, because for all she knew, he might._

"_Don't you ever, ever do that again," she hissed in his ear before breaking down into sobs. _

_Toshiro sat with his arms frozen at his sides. His breath hitched in his throat, but whether it had to do with tears or the lack of oxygen going to his brain, he wasn't sure. _

"_Ma'am," one of the doctors said as she saw Toshiro's pained looked. "Will you sign the medical forms?"_

_This got her to cry even harder. "I can't. I just can't!"_

"_Ma'am?" The doctor, one Retsu Unohana, said, this time with a little more kindness in her voice. "What's the matter?"_

"_I can't do it anymore!" She threw her hands up. "All of the doctor visit, the psychologists, everything!I can't deal with any more calls from the police, telling me that I have to pick my nephew up, that he's lucky to be alive! It's too much. It's too much." The last part came out as a whisper. Her eyes turned to Toshiro, full of remorse and sadness. "I'm sorry."_

_And she left. _

_**Just like everyone else did. Sooner or later, don't we all end up alone? **_

_The doctors all looked at each other with various degrees of shock on their face. How could this lady just give up on him? What would make her go that far?_

"_Don't worry," Unohana said to the boy, "we'll find you a home." The boy didn't answer, staring out the frosted window with a troubled look on his face._

(Karin)

She was hungry. She had no idea how long she had been walking, but it felt like it had been forever. Fatigue threatened her, and she stumbled through the early morning crowd with her eyes half-open. She shivered in her rain-drenched coat. The rain had long since stopped, but to her it felt like it was still pouring.

Karin fell to the ground as she was nudged by an unseen person. She fell to the ground, landing in a heap. She was too afraid to move, too tired to care. Tears leaked from her eyes, when suddenly, someone bent down to her.

He had white hair, and a concerned look crossed his face. She flinched away from his touch, and he withdrew his hand slowly. "Can you walk?" he asked.

Karin just sat there, staring past the man. Before she could even think, the man had picked her up.

"Don't worry," he said, "you're safe."


	3. Finding 'Home'

**A/N:For those who may be confused, cuz I am a confusing person, from now on all thoughts will be in bold, all flashbacks will be in **_italics_** and may or may not be set off by (flashback), depending on the situation. Some voted, and I decided I will spell Toushirou like that (imaginary arrow pointing thataway). Oh wait, give me a minute…**** hah. I gots it! It probably won't be pointing the right way, but oh well. It may seem like Toushirou is not in the chapter, but fret not, he will appear. Some people wondered why I didn't write part if the prologue on Toushirou's past, and that's because I'm evil. O.O Nah, his past will come up either in flashbacks or he'll reveal it himself. Or maybe in his dreams… **

**This chapter will be pretty long, because I want to show where Karin is, and introduce a lot of people. Toshiro will be mainly in the second part of the chapter, and he may or may not meet Karin… you'll have to read! **

**To let everyone know…Toushirou and Karin have not met yet. If anyone thought that the man who took Karin last chapter was him, I'm sorry to say it wasn't. I thought I could change my idea and make it him, but when I looked at my chapter, I wrote 'man', and Toushirou is not a man. Sorry. XD**

**Disclaimer: **

**Me: I do not own Bleach. At all. Yet… just you wait world! I WILL OWN BLEACH!**

**Nee-san (crimsoneclipse): Yo! Idiot! Who the hell are you talkin' to?**

**Me: My friend- (looks around) Pete? Where'd ya go? PETE? **

**Onto chapter two!**

**Chapter Two: Finding 'Home'**

_The higher you build the walls around your heart, the harder you fall when someone tears them down. _

Karin woke up to the smell of food, and the banging of pots. **Wait, that's just a headache. What the hell? **

She bolted up from where she had been placed, trying to remember how she'd gotten to where she was now. ** Who was that man again? **She placed a hand to her head, groaning.

"You're awake."

Karin turned to see the man who from earlier. Looking at him closely, she saw that he had a kind appearance; if you were going to be taken in by a stranger, she supposed you'd want to be taken in by someone like him.

She looked at him cautiously, not sure what to think of him. Before he could say anything else, a very buxom girl burst into the room.

"Ukitake! Shuuhei's being meeeeaaaan!" she whined. She shook her head, and her orange colored hair bounced.

"Rangiku, this is not a good time." He glanced over at Karin.

Rangiku noticed the girl sitting on the couch. "Ooh!" She ran up to Karin. "You're awake! Hi! I'm Rangiku!"

Karin's eyes narrowed and she involuntarily shrunk back. Ukitake noticed this, and he stepped up to Rangiku, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Weren't you saying something about Shuuhei?"

"Oh, yeah! He won't tell me about yesterday!" Rangiku pouted, her eyes widening. Karin wanted to laugh, but she found herself unable to.

"Let's go talk to him," Ukitake said to her. He looked at Karin. "You can just stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, they both left Karin alone.

She took the opportunity to look around the room. She was sitting on a plain black couch, a blanket carefully placed on her. A coffee table near her held a bunch of papers, all of them looking like college notes. **Not now, idiot. Don't you dare start crying.**

Scanning the rest of the room, she found nothing out of the ordinary. There was a desk that overlooked a window, and a TV was in the corner of the room. The lights were shut off, so she couldn't be sure, but Karin guessed the room was burgundy in color.

Making sure they were gone, she got off the couch. She walked warily to the door. With a hand resting on the doorknob, someone behind her spoke.

"Where'ya going?" A little girl with pink hair looked at her expectantly, a lolli pop sticking out of her mouth.

"Yachiru," the one that Rangiku girl had called Ukitake came back. "No sweets before dinner," he reminded her.

**Dinner? How long had I been asleep? What day is it? **

Ukitake's looked at where Karin's hand rested. "Why don't you join us for dinner?"

"Yeah!" Yachiru grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the door. "Let's go!"

Karin would have protested, but the girl looked like she wouldn't take no for an answer.** Spoiled little brat…I was so close to leaving, too…**

They headed to the dining room, Ukitake trailing behind them. Karin noticed that the house was decorated like the room she had just been in. It was also fairly large. As they neared their destination, Karin could make out a bunch of conversations. **How many people are here? **

When they entered the room, it was like nothing happened. Karin noticed that everyone there were children. She'd have to say that Yachiru was the youngest of them all, and she had yet to figure out who the oldest was. Rangiku saw her and waved her over.

Ukitake looked at Karin. "Choose a seat." He smiled at her and sat down himself. "Help yourself."

Karin sat next to Rangiku, not knowing where else to go. She smiled at her, turning to smack someone on the head.

"What are you doing, Rangiku?" He glared at her. Karin saw that he looked to be about 18, maybe a year older. He had scars on the right side of his face, and a tattoo of '69' on his left cheek.

"Introduce yourself." She looked at Karin. "I'm pretty sure that she can't guess your name."

He muttered at Rangiku. "Go to hell."

"He's Shuuhei," Rangiku said, ignoring his statement. She smacked him again, and they started to argue.

Karin stared down at the table. She didn't belong here. She had her own place, nowhere even close to here. **Not anymore you don't. It was all taken away from you, remember? Think of it like this, Karin. You've got nowhere else to turn to. Do you want that Omaeda guy to find you? Ship you off to a family? **

"Sorry about it being take out," Ukitake said, "but none of us are great cooks."

**Yuzu…**

Karin nodded numbly.

"You staying the night?" Shuuhei asked.

Rangiku clapped her hands together. "You can sleep with me!" She glanced at Karin. "It's settled."

Karin looked up at her. "I-I can't," Karin said, hating how unused her voice was. It was, she thought, the first time she had spoken since that night.

Rangiku looked at her quizzically. "Why not?"

"Rangiku," Shuuhei warned.

"Do you need to go back home?"

**Home.**

Karin sat there.

"What's the matter?" Rangiku asked worriedly.

"Nothing," Karin whispered, "nothing at all."

(Toushirou)

"Wanna drink, Toushirou?"

"Can't."

"Come on, you said that last time." Smoke filled the car as he took another drag, followed by a swig of beer.

"You know I have to go home." Teal eyes looked out the window, past the darkened streets. He watched as Mr. Sumeragi took out the trash from his diner, hoisting it into the overflowing trash container. The bag bounced a little before it settled on the top of the pile, a lone piece of crumpled up paper falling loose. It fluttered to the ground slowly, until the wind blew it up. Toushirou watched as it flew through the air, up over the building's top, until it was out of his sight.

Sighing, he pulled the hood on his jacket up. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Whatever." The man took another swig, not paying attention as the boy left, cool air entering the car. He put out his cigarette, pulling his car out and driving down the street.

Toushirou watched as Satoshi drove away, swerving slightly on the road. He walked down the sidewalk, heading the few blocks to his 'house'. He could see his breath, coming out in puffs in front of his face.

"_Look Momo," he said excitedly, breathing out a big breath. A large smile covered his face as he looked at his childhood friend. She smiled sweetly at him, ruffling his hair. She seemed to be the only one who could do that without him getting really mad. _

"_That's great, 'lil Shiro," she replied. "You know what that means, right?"_

_His smile seemed to grow even larger. "Winter's coming, right?"_

"_Yes, it is."_

_Toushirou concentrated as he watched his breath crystallize in front of him. He grabbed Momo's hand, and after a moment, she squeezed his back._

Toushirou's eyes hardened and he braced himself against the wind that had started to pick up. He slowed his breathing, making it so that he couldn't see his breath anymore. He shoved his hands into his pockets, taking his time on making it to his 'home'.

(Karin)

**I'm in Hell. I've been swallowed into Hell, and it consists of watching reruns of Jersey Shore, makeup, and Rangiku. **

Karin sat miserably on her new bed, conveniently placed next to Rangiku's, as the girl chattered on and on, nonstop. Suddenly, Rangiku stopped, and Karin heard a door slam from downstairs.

"Ooh!" Rangiku pulled Karin to her feet, dragging her downstairs. "C'mon, there's someone you need to meet!"

(Toushirou)

Toushirou let go of the breath he had been holding, angered at the sight of his destination. He walked up the five steps to his prison, and for good measure, he slammed the door as he entered. Shuuhei and Izuru looked at him, and he glared. **I wish I had taken that drink.**

"Toushirou."

It was him. Standing with his arms crossed, Ukitake leaned against the doorway.

"What." It came out as a statement, not a question.

"Do you know what time it is?" Ukitake asked, standing up straight. Shuuhei and Izuru looked at Toushirou, waiting for a response.

Toushirou smirked. "Time for you to get a damn watch, old man, 'cause I sure as hell won't wear one."

Izuru looked at Toushirou with his mouth agape, and Shuuhei narrowed his eyes.

Ukitake sighed. "Toushirou, where were you?"

"Out."

"With who?"

Toushirou scoffed. "None of your damn business."

"Toushirou," Ukitake said, stepping in front of the teen, "I'm trying to help you."

Toushirou rolled his eyes. His gaze flickered to the door, where the others had gathered. His eyes returned to Ukitake. "Yeah? Who said I want your help?" He lowered his voice. "I was doing fine before I had to come here."

"Toushirou," Ukitake said, earnest, "you were _not_ fine."

"How would you know?" Toushirou replied angrily. "You weren't there, were you?"

Ukitake sighed. "You're right. I wasn't. But I'm here now, right?"

Toushirou didn't answer, crossing his arms.

"Are you hungry?" Ukitake said, changing the subject.

"I already ate."

Ukitake put a hand on Toushirou's shoulder. "Alright." He turned around and left. Shuuhei and Izuru turned back to the muted TV, and everyone but Rangiku and Karin scattered before Ukitake passed them. Ukitake smiled at the two of them, and they entered the room.

"Toushirou!" Rangiku said, running up to the boy.

"What, Matsumoto?"

"You're so stingy," Rangiku pouted again, something Karin was beginning to think was a trademark of hers. Well, that and other things.

"_koe sae ushinattemo_-" Toushirou's phone started to go off. He flicked it open, answering the call.

"What?" he said. Rangiku looked at him, interested in what was happening.

Toushirou's eyebrows drew together as he listened to Satoshi on the other line.

"Hey Toushirou, heh heh, whatcha doin'?" His voice was slurred, and Toushirou could only guess how drunk his friend was.

"What do you want? You know not to call me."

"Ya see, that's the thing. I kinda need your help right now…"

Toushirou sighed, turning away from Rangiku. "Where are you?" he said quietly.

"I'm, ah, kinda in, ah, jail?"

"Then why did you call me?" Toushirou imagined himself strangling Satoshi the next time he saw him.

"You know why." Satoshi got serious. "I need you to bail me out."

"How do you think I'm going to do that?"

"I don't know, you little brat," Satoshi spat at him, "find a way. Bring 300 dollars to the jail soon, cuz I can't be busted anymore."

"Whatever." Toushirou hung up on his ex-friend. "Rot in Hell," he said, walking past Karin and Rangiku. He went to his room and slammed the door.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Toushirou looked out of his window, staring at the snow that had started to fall silently. Four months. That's how long it had been since he'd gotten out of the hospital, since he'd lost yet another family member. A tear rolled down his face, joining the rest that had fallen onto the windowsill. **How can being surrounded by people feel so miserable?**

He wiped away the tears harshly, only stopped when the skin on his cheek felt raw. He shut the blinds to his window, waiting for his world to fall dark.

**A/N:**

**Okay, so I wanted to get that out there, because I may or may not have been able to update until Sunday, and I luv y'all's reviews so much. **

**God, Toushirou kinda ignored Karin there, didn't he? That meanie… Yeah, I got Satoshi from DNAngel, mainly because I needed a name, and I took his. I don't think he'll reappear, unless anyone wants him to. Toushirou's ringtone was the Echoes by Universe, one of the Bleach endings for the latest season. **

**Okay peoples! I'm counting on you all to review! I do have another question for you: Do you guys want me to make either Toushirou or Karin, like, self-harm themselves (that didn't make any sense…)? Cuz I don't want to be too horrible to Toushirou or Karin, but I do have an idea…**

**Also, be on the lookout for another story from me, coming shortly. It shall be called Love Made the World Go 'round. Here's a sneak peek:**

"_**Don't leave me," he pleaded.**_

"_**Promise me…"**_

"_**What? I'll do anything. Just stay with me!" He could hear the desperation in his own voice.**_

_**She smiled. "Promise me you'll love me forever." The smile froze on her face, and she coughed up the smallest amount of blood.**_

_**Ichigo could hear the sirens of police cars and paramedics inb the distance. "Stay with me," he pleaded again.**_

"_**I…love you I-chi-go…" She coughed up more and more blood. **_

"_**I love you, too." He blinked back tears. "I will always love you. Forever."**_

**OOH, SNAP. No she di'in't! Well, yup. If you guys care to find out who 'she' is, and what the heck was happening, keep your eyes peeled for that story. It should be up by the end of the weekend. I can tell you, it is IchiRuki. **

**Please review!**


	4. Sleepless Nights

**A/N: Well, I'm sorry this took so long. I've had a very bad case of writer's block, and I've been dealing with a bunch of personal issues. (I know, excuses, excuses). I thought I'd write this chapter while I had nothing to do, and I feel in the mood for writing.**

**I had already started this chapter, but what I wrote was so crappy that I'm not even gonna go there. . Anyways, let's get this started.**

**Chapter Three: **Sleepless Nights

(Rangiku)

It was five in the morning, and she had been like that for a few hours now; eyes drawn together, curled up on her side. She was whimpering, just a little bit, and Rangiku stared at the younger girl with a frown on her face. What had happened to her?

Karin had started to shake; a little at first, but in the passing minutes, it became more and more profound. Rangiku wasn't sure what the girl needed, and before she could act, the girl started to speak.

It was quiet; barely a whisper, but she could hear it. "I-Ichigo…"

Ichigo? As in-

"N-no," Karin stuttered, turning on her side. "Don't go…" Her eyes squeezed tight, her hands balled into fists, she rolled onto her back. Rangiku could see the girl clearly now, so small compared to the bed. It looked like she hadn't eaten in forever, and she'd been haunted by something that no one her age should have been.

Rangiku didn't know whether or not she should wake the girl, who seemed so helpless, drowning in her nightmare. Before she could do anything, her door opened, and she felt herself gasp quietly.

"It's okay," the intruder said.

She sighed. "What the hell are you doing, Shuuhei?"

Said boy came to sit next to her. He looked down at Karin, who seemed to have relaxed a tiny bit. "I just wanted to make sure that you two were alright."

Rangiku looked at him. "Do you know who she is?"

He averted his eyes, and Rangiku took that as a yes. "Tell me, Shuuhei."

He looked at Rangiku, and she could see worry in his eyes. **For who?** "Look after her carefully, Ran-chan," he said, using _his_ nickname for her. "She's going to need it." With that, he slipped out of the room, disappearing as suddenly as he had came.

Toushirou woke up to a soft knock at his door. In truth, he hadn't really been sleeping-he was an insomniac- but lying on his bed, feigning the motions of slumber. The blinds were pulled on his window, so he couldn't judge how early it was, but he could see a thin sliver of sunlight dancing to the ground, throwing lines onto his floor. He swung his legs over his bed, running a hand through his hair, still unable to get it to cooperate. He sighed, opening the door.

"What do you want?" Toushirou said irritably once he saw who it was.

Ukitake looked at the boy and sighed. "Still mad, I see," he observed.

"I'm not mad," he said, though that wasn't a total lie. He wasn't mad: he was pissed. Pissed that he was sent here, of all places, to someone who hadn't given a damn about him any earlier in his life.

Ukitake sighed, leaving that subject to rest for now. "Can I come in?"

Toushirou stepped back silently, letting the older man enter his room. He took that moment to look at the clock in the hall: 7:52 am.

The door closed, and Toushirou found himself standing at the edge of his bed, Ukitake sitting in the chair across the room. He sighed, crossing his arms. "What do you want?" he repeated to the man.

"I want to ask you a favor Toushirou."

The boy tilted his head and waited for Ukitake to continue.

"I want you to get to know Karin."

"Who the hell is Karin?"

"The girl that I found yesterday." Ukitake's eyes drew together, a frown appearing on his slightly aged face. "I feel that she'll need," he paused, searching for the right word, "friends."

"What if I don't want to be her friend?" Toushirou replied stubbornly. "I don't even want to be here."

"Toushirou," Ukitake said, coming to stand in front of the teen. "You need to get better."

Toushirou looked away, unable to bear his gaze. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Roll up your sleeves, Toushirou."

"What?" The boy was shocked. "No. I won't."

"Why not?"

"Why? Do you not trust me? What happened to being family?" Toushirou started to yell.

Ukitake's look was one of regret and…pity. "Honestly, Toushirou," he said, starting to the door. "You've given me no reason to."

**A/N: I know. Crap. Psh, I suck. XD Sooooooo, *wink wink* what is it that Shuuhei knows?**

**Heh, there were fossilized skittles in my bedroom…strange. Pete found them. **

**Review please! The more reviews I get, the quicker I will be to write, and the more torture I shall put the characters through. :D I swear I'll be better at updating, though!**


	5. In the Past

**A/N I was reading what I put for my summary (cuz I is stupid and forgot .), and I realized that I should probably put some flashbacks in the story. So this chapter is… dun dun dun… FLASHBACKS!**

**Okay, I'm sorry to all of those who love to read about Karin, but this chapter is strictly Toushirou ^.^ I feel bad for only writing about Karin the first chapters, and I don't really have an idea on Karin's past, so I'm saving it for a future chapter. This isn't going to be that detailed, just starting about seven months from the present. Don't worry, his past will be fully revealed later, cuz I'm evil…**

**IMPORTANT! The stuff set off by ~~~ is flashbacks in the flashbacks…or Toushirou's memory…It'll make sense when you read it. XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Tite Kubo is the owner of the lovely creation *tears***

**Chapter Four: **In the Past

_(Toushirou) (About seven months from the present…)_

"_And we now find the accused guilty. His sentence will be life in prison, for double homicide of his wife and son, and attempted homicide." With a tap of the gavel, he was taken out of the court, an eerie smile on his face, as if saying one final fuck you to the world before he was locked up for good. Or, that's at least how Toushirou wanted to think of it as. It's not like he could see it. He was far away, still unconscious. Multiple needles were attached to him, and his shallow breathing filled the room. The insomniac was finally sleeping, and it would have made his family happy to see that. If only he had family left. _

_The heart monitor skipped a beat, and it made a nurse look up from her clipboard. Again, a second later, another skip in the slow pattern that had been occurring for the past few months. "D-Doctor!" she called. "I think the patient is waking up!"_

_The Doctor, Retsu Unohana, hurried to the room, smiling at Nurse Kotetsu as she went. "Thank you," she said, "will you please alert the rest of the nurses?" Unohana knew that they all had taken a liking to the white-haired boy, and they would be glad to hear if he was waking. _

_Isane nodded, leaving to tell all the other nurses on the floor. Retsu walked up to the boy's side, reading his monitors. "Hmm…"_

_The beeps were coming in faster, and his breathing seemed to quicken. With anticipation, Unohana watched as the teen opened his eyes, the first time since he had been brought in. Retsu was surprised at their color: the vibrant teal that seemed to only brighten the cuts and bruises on his face. She found herself thinking __**God, I hope that those marks don't scar his face.**__ She shook her head a little bit. __**Don't get attached to the patients, **__she reminded herself, __**because once he leaves, he'll never come back. Hopefully,**__ she added as an afterthought._

_The teal orbs landed on her, and she could see the unspoken question. Retsu smiled. "I'm glad you're finally awake. We were beginning to get worried." Staring into those eyes, she realized something._

_There was no trace of fear, which she would have expected, considering the extent of damage he had obtained. All she could see was…_

_Nothing. Those eyes were utterly blank. And that could only mean one of two things. Either his mind ha shut down; all emotions were not going through to him, and he was at a stage of numbness. Or…he didn't remember what had happened to him._

_Retsu was almost afraid to find out which it was. They needed the boy to be able to remember what had happened…Or was that just too painful for him to even register? __**What had **__happened __**to him?**_

"_Can you tell me your name?" she asked, deciding it was time to figure out which of the two it was._

_**Toushirou. Toushirou. Toushirou Hitsugaya. Toushirou Hitsu- **__her train of thought was cut of with his hesitant answer._

"_I-" he broke off. "I can't remember," he whispered, his voice full of confusion and…fear?_

"_It's going to be alright. Why don't you just rest for now. We can try again later." Retsu left the boy to sleep._

"_How is the boy?" was the first question, from not only Isane, but her twin sister Kiyone._

_Unohana sighed. "He can't remember who he is."_

_Toushirou had been awake for the past week, but no more than a few hours a day. The doctors and nurses had many questions, yes, but they needed to make sure the teen was healed enough. He hadn't regained any of his memories yet, and he hadn't spoken again after the first time he awoke. Currently, he was staring out the window, as he spent most of his time awake. His food that had brought in when he first woke up lay untouched on a side table._

"_Toushirou." _

_The boy turned to see a slight women standing in the doorway. She had black hair, shoulder-length, and her eyes were a dark brown. She looked at Toushirou hopefully, her expression falling a little after a moment. "I see," she said, walking over to the boy. "You really did lose your memories."_

_Toushirou stared at her. _

_The lady smiled, coming to a stop next to him. She tried to look past all of his injuries, but instead she found herself staring. After a moment, she looked back at Toushirou's face, worry and caution now accompanying her expression. "You won't remember me," she said quietly, "because I wasn't around very much anyways, but my name is Soudou. I am your aunt." She smiled sadly. "When you get out of the hospital, I'm going to take you to my house." _

"_Going home...with you?" _

_Soudou was surprised that he spoke, having been warned that he would not by the doctors. __**His voice is the same, **__she found herself thinking, __**but there's something new…**_

"_Yes," she answered carefully, aware of his next question._

"_Why?"_

_Soudou had no answer for this question. What should he tell the boy? That his mother and father were-_

"_Excuse me miss, but it is time for Toushirou to get some tests run." Her train of thought was broken._

"_Y-yes," she stammered. "We'll talk again, Toushirou," she said, making a quick exit. _

"_He's been recovering really well," Isane commented one day, about three weeks since the boy had first awoken. "Although he still doesn't speak."_

"_Yes." Unohana frowned. "He may be recovering well, but I'm beginning to wonder if he'll ever regain his memories."_

"_He might not?" Isane said surprised. She looked over to Toushirou, noticing that he was still not in his room. She checked the clock; he had about twenty more minutes in physical therapy. "Well," she said, still staring into his room. "Would that be good or bad?"_

_Unohana was silent for a few minutes. Isane thought she wasn't going to answer, so she started to leave._

"_I just hope it doesn't happen when he's not here," she heard Unohana said._

_Toushirou gritted his teeth, continuing his cadence of fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-_

"_C'mon, Toushirou," a voice said timidly. Toushirou glared at the therapist, Hanataro Yamada, with distain. The man-__**No**__, _**kid-**_ he corrected himself. He couldn't have been much older than Toushirou himself. Okay, that was an exaggeration. Toushiro was just mad._

_Toushirou got up from the spot where he was sitting, walking slowly to Hanataro. He'd been in therapy with this guy for about a week, and he was ready to kill him. He had to admit, the guy was pretty good. When he had first started the therapy, he wasn't even able to get out of the wheelchair. Now, even though the nurses still kept a close eye on him, he was able to walk around in the halls by himself. _

"_What," he said, surprising Hanataro. _

"_Y-you are allowed to go now," he stammered, averting his eyes. Toushirou walked past him to the door. Before he could leave, he bumped into someone._

"_What the hell!" that person yelled from the floor. Toushirou rubbed his forehead. Not only did he have a headache, it seemed like he was going to get a bruise, too. _

"_You're one to talk," he said. "You ran into me."_

_The person lifted their head to reveal…_

_A girl. She had black hair, a strand of that stubbornly hanging in front of her face, and her eyes were closed. _

"_Here's a suggestion," Toushirou muttered, half to himself, "walk with your eyes open next time."_

"_Really now," the girl said, hearing everything he said. She opened her eyes, and Toushirou held back a gasp. "Yeah, I didn't think so," she said. "That wouldn't really help BECAUSE I'M BLIND!" She waved a hand in front of her face. She sighed, holding a hand out for Toushirou to take._

"_Umm…" for once, Toushirou was at a loss for words. _

"_Help me up," she said. "Duh."_

_Toushirou took her hand, pulling her up with him. For a moment, pain flashed through his arm._

_"Get back here! I swear, don't run away! You'll never make it!"_

_Toushirou grabbed his head, doubling over. _

"_What's happening?" the girl asked as Hanataro called for Unohana._

_He was on the floor now, curled in a ball. His breath came quicker, and it took him all of his might not to scream._

___ "What the hell is wrong with that child?" "He's a freak." "Freak. Freak, Freak, Freak!"___

"_Isane!" Unohana said. "Get Ms. Kuchiki away!"_

"_Yes, Ma'am!" Isane took the girl away, and Unohana turned her attention to the boy._

"_Toushirou, can you hear me?" She put her hand on the boy's shoulder, and he went still. "Toushirou?" she said quietly. _

_Toushirou was silent, only his breathing making it to Unohana's ears. She could hear Ms. Kuchiki screaming down the hall at Isane to tell her what was happening in the distance. _

"_M-miss Unohana," Hanataro said. "What happened?"_

"_I think," she said quietly, "that he's gaining his memories back."_

_Soudou came back the next day, afraid of what had happened, and apologetic for not returning earlier. _

"_There was nothing you could do," Unohana said to her. " And Toushirou needs his rest. He was very confused at what was happening, and he seemed to be in pain."_

_Soudou sucked in a breath. "What exactly happened to him?"_

_Unohana looked grim. "That's what we're trying to figure out. Only he knows the extent of his injuries, and he has forgotten everything. If his memories return, well, that's what we're worried about."_

"_Oh god…" Soudou looked down at her nephew. "Poor Toushirou."_

"_Yes," Unohana agreed, "poor Toushirou."_

"_Toushirou."_

"_Toushiiiiiiiirou…"_

_Toushirou whimpered in his sleep, causing Isane to look up from her report. The teen looked fine, his back turned to her. He was silent, so she continued on with her report, glancing at the boy one final time. It was a few minutes before he whimpered again, this time louder. Isane put down the papers and hurried to the boy. His eyes were closed tightly, a troubled look on his face. Isane could've sworn the look was of fear. _

"_Unohana," she said, trying to get the nurse's attention. Unohana rushed over to the two. _

"_What is it, Isane?"_

"_I-I don't know," she said. "It just happened all of the sudden."_

_Unohana looked down at the boy, his face contorted. His eyes opened wide, and he flew forward, screaming. He grabbed at his head, pulling on the white hair through its bandages. No matter what happened, he couldn't stop screaming. _

_And Unohana couldn't help but watch in horror as the unseen in the boy's mind took control._

_He was never the same after that, and Unohana would swear to it. He withdrew into himself, becoming more and more distant with the day. And his eyes…you could usually tell what he was thinking because of them, but now they were empty, lifeless. And Toushirou wouldn't talk. Not to Soudou, not even to Rukia, whom he'd become good friends with. He was released a month later, and the hospital seemed…emptier. Just like him._

_Ukitake's look was one of regret and…pity. "Honestly, Toushirou," he said, starting to the door. "You've given me no reason to."_

"_Honestly, Toushirou. You've given me no reason to." _

"_You've given me no reason to."_

Toushirou tossed in his bed, his arms wrapped around his sides. His eyes were closed tight, and he looked in pain.

Ukitake felt guilty. He was look at the boy through a two-way mirror, one that had been in the house longer than he had. No, he didn't place it there to spy on the boy after learning about what he had done. He just happened to have given the boy this room while "accidentally" forgetting it was there.

"Spying now, are we?"

Ukitake smiled a small smile. "And how did you get in here?" he said, turning to Shunsui.

Shunsui shrugged. "The door was open." He looked through the mirror. "Ah, is this Toushirou-kun?"

"Yes." Ukitake frowned. "Something's wrong, though."

"He looks different. How long has it been?"

"You saw him a week ago," Ukitake said.

Shunsui clapped his hands together. "That's why." He folded his arms across his chest. "But what happened to him?" he said seriously.

"I told him he'd given me no reason to trust him," Ukitake said. He sighed. "I'm horrible, aren't I?"

"Why don't you start by getting to know him? Find out what made him this way."

"I already know," Ukitake said, defeated.

"But he may not. Remember what Unohana-san said?"

Ukitake didn't have to answer. Instead, they stood there, watching the teal-eyed teen for a while, as he lay unmoving.

After a few minutes, Shunsui spoke up. "You didn't tell him what happened, did you?"

"No," Ukitake replied after a moment's hesitation. "Do you think I should have?"

Shunsui answered with a question. "Do you think he needs to know?"

**A/N: Ahhhhhhh, my longest chapter!**

**I love Thanksgiving. This happened to be the best one I've had. And this is my gift to you, lovely readers. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Memories Resurfacing

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

"Ichigo..?"

Karin sat up, startled. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she placed a hand over the frantic beating. She closed her eyes for a minute, sleep still edging its way into her thoughts, but her dream was too vivid for her to want to attempt any slumber right now. She had been back in the house when IT had happened. She could still remember every detail of that night, and she felt sick. She tried to calm her heart, and after a few minutes of deep breathing it settled down. She opened her eyes when someone knocked at the door.

Her eyes snapped to the doorway, and Rangiku came into the room, rubbing her hair with a towel. "Good morning," she said cheerily, sitting down on her own bed. She yawned widely. "It's almost time for breakfast, so if you want to get ready, we can head down."

Karin shook her head softly. "I'm not hungry."

Rangiku looked at the younger teen. She sighed, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Stop beating yourself up, kid. You did nothing wrong."

Karin sat there for a moment, tear silently trickling down her face. She wiped them away hastily. **Since when have I become this weak? **she thought. She laughed a little to herself, earning a worried look from Rangiku. She smiled at the older girl.

"You okay?" Rangiku said. "You don't have to go to breakfast if you don't want to, it's fine. I can bring you something up." Karin nodded, and Rangiku left shortly after.

Karin lay back down on her bed. "For once, Ichi, I have no idea what to do next."

Toushirou gritted his teeth and turned on his bed again. **Damn Ukitake. He has NO right to tell me what to do. I barely know him, and he's known about me for how long? He didn't even care before. I'm shoved at him as a last resort, and he takes me in like he suggested it. He's the one who's wrong, not me. It's him. **

Toushirou shivered, curling into a tighter ball. No matter what, he couldn't get what Ukitake said out of his head.

"_Honestly, Toushirou, you've given me no reason to."_

Toushirou felt his body go cold, and he froze. "Not again," he whispered, feeling himself being pulled into darkness. "No…"

_He was standing in a room, all white. Blood was spattered on the white couch in the corner and he could see a pair of legs from behind it. "M-mom…" he called out softly, not wanting to disrupt the silence that seemed to cover the room. He glanced down at his feet and screamed. He was standing in a pool of blood, and he took a few steps backwards before stumbling. He fell into the sticky red liquid, slipping a few times before falling once more. He reached a hand out and grabbed a clump of…hair? He looked at his hand, and felt his insides go cold. It was hair, brown hair, attached to a young girl. Her brown eyes looked at him, pleadingly, the life already having left them a while ago. A thin trail of tears ran through the blood smeared on her face, and Toushirou lifted himself up, running away from the room. His feet, sticky with blood, slid on the hardwood floor as he raced away, trying to get as far away as his body could take him. He heard a laughing and stopped immediately in his tracks. "Toushiiiiirou…"_

"Toushirou…"

"Toushirou!"

"TOUSHIROU! WAKE UP!"

Toushirou jumped, being caught in Ukitake's arms. He shivered, and the man held him.

"Toushirou," he said quietly, "what happened? Did you remember something?"

Toushirou just shivered and buried his head into Ukitake's shoulder, wishing he could forget what he had seen. He didn't even know what it all meant. How did he know that was his mother? And who was that girl he had seen?

"Toushirou, speak to me." Ukitake looked at the boy, but he wouldn't. Ukitake looked to the doorway, where all the others had gathered. Rangiku was looking at the boy with a lot of concern, and even Izuru and Shuuhei, who weren't on the best terms with the boy, looked anxious. Ukitake's eyes landed on Karin, who seemed to be the only one not shaken by the situation. Her eyes were narrowed and she was standing slightly behind Rangiku, to whom she'd taken a liking to.

"Rangiku," he said quietly. "Can you call Unohana? Tell her it's an emergency." Rangiku's eyes widened, and she nodded once before running to call the doctor. Izuru and Shuuhei looked at each other and started to get the other children to go back to breakfast. Ukitake looked at them gratefully, and he turned his attention to the boy once again.

"Toushirou, look at me." The boy removed his head from the man's chest and looked him in the eye. "What happened?"

"There was blood," he whispered, his eyes searching Ukitake's. "And they were dead." Tears started to form in his eyes. "Who were they?" he asked pleadingly. "What happened?"

"Ukitake." Rangiku appeared in the door way. "Unohana said she'll be here in a few minutes."

"Thank you," Ukitake answered her, never taken his eyes off Toushirou. Rangiku left and he answered the boy's question. "Toushirou, no matter what, you're safe. It'll all e okay. Remember that." The boy started to protest, but Ukitake cut him off. "Get some rest. Unohana will be here in a few minutes." He left the heartbroken kid and returned to where he others were waiting.

Toushirou stared after the man, his heart slowly being ripped to pieces. Ukitake knew what had happened, and he didn't tell Toushirou. The tears started to flow down Toushirou's face, and he let them.

"Mother…Momo…"

Karin was sitting on the couch next to Rangiku when Ukitake came back in. Izuru and Shuuhei were the only other two in the room, the younger children being sent outside to play. Rangiku broke the silence first. "Unohana said that Isane would be accompanying her too, and they had been planning on coming down earlier anyways."

Ukitake smiled at the girl, leaning in the doorway. "Thank you."

"Ukitake," Shuuhei began, "what happened back there? All we heard was Toushirou screaming."

Ukitake sighed. "I think he may have gained some of his memories back."

"Memories?" Karin asked before thinking. The others looked at her, a little surprised that she spoke.

"Yes," Ukitake said after a moment. "Toushirou doesn't remember anything up to about half a year ago."

Izuru breathed in a breath. "Wow…"

"What made him forget?" Karin found herself asking.

Ukitake's gaze hardened. "You four shouldn't be asking about it."

Rangiku whined. "But Ukitake, we just want to help him!"

"Alright," Ukitake said, "but you must not let him know. He needs to figure this out on his own."

The others nodded.

Ukitake began. "It all began the year Toushirou was born…"

**A/N:**

**Okay, I know I said to many of you that I was going to update around Friday, but, well, I lied. ^^ I sat down today, listening to my new obsession (One Ok Rock, They're so awesome…) and I just started to write this…yeah. I had started this totally differently, but I wrote something down last night and decided to build off of it. **

**From now on, I'm going to:**

**Go at a faster pace, cuz I've been lagging**

**Make my chapters more interesting**

**Do I need to do anything else? Let me know, and I'll work on it. You guys have been so awesome and I want to make my writing the best it can be. **

**Okay, so Toushirou and Karin WILL be getting to know each other better NEXT chapter (which I'll try to have out really soon). And if they don't, I give you guys all rights to shoot me. ^^ If it's not out by the end of the week, yell at me to get my butt moving. Sound good?**

**Oh yeah, Ukitake may be telling them what happened in Toushirou's past, but I don't think I'll reveal it yet…dun dun dun…**

**How was this chapter? Confusing? Stupid? Good? Let me know!**

**Tealeyedmoon69 out**


	7. Doctor's Visit

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

Unohana was sifting through the loads of paperwork she had for the day when her phone rang. "Hello?" she answered sweetly, and she heard the receptionist fidget.

"Um, Doctor Unohana, I don't mean to bother you, and I hope you're not busy but-"

"Yes Hanataro?" she cut in smoothly. The boy would go on all day if she didn't get down to the point.

The flustered boy continued. "There's a call for you on line one. A girl named Rangiku said she is calling for 'Ukitake' and it's very urgent." He trailed off.

"Thank you," Unohana said, hanging up the phone before Hanataro could reply. She picked up the line immediately. "Hello?" she asked for the second time in a few short moments.

She heard the girl sigh in relief, and she almost smiled. She had met Rangiku before on the trips Ukiatke had made to the hospital, and although she was very energetic, the girl had a very kind demeanor and cared a lot about Toushirou. Thinking about Toushirou made Unohana's breath catch in her throat. That was probably the reason she was calling; Unohana couldn't think of another. She just hoped the teen didn't try anything else.

"Unohana?" Rangiku started. "I'm calling for Ukitake. He wanted you to come immediately. Toushirou…well…"

"Yes?" Her suspicions were right then. He did try something. Holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder, she started to pack her bag. The horrible thoughts that ran through her head were silenced and forgotten soon, though.

"We think he remembered something." Rangiku's voice was barely over a whisper.

Unohana tensed. This could either be good or bad. "How did he react?"

"Everything was silent, and then all we heard was screaming…everyone rushed to him. It was horrible." Unohana could tell Rangiku was fighting back tears as she recounted the events.

"I'll be there as quick as I can," Unohana told her. "And Rangiku?"

"Yes?"

"…Keep him safe."

Rangiku paused before answering. "Of course."

Bidding the girl farewell, Unohana went to find Isane, only hoping Toushirou would be okay.

When Unohana had arrived, Ukitake had finished explaining and gone to greet her, leaving Karin, Rangiku, Shuuhei, and Izuru not knowing what to do with themselves. The boys had started talking quietly to each other, and Karin started to play with the edge of her shirt, her dream all but forgotten.

A hand brushed away a tear she didn't know was falling, and Karin looked up hastily at Rangiku, a shocked and scared look on her face. The older girl smiled at her and pulled her into a hug, not needing to say anything. Karin felt her speak into her hair softly. "It'll all be okay." And she believed her.

Karin closed her eyes and let the words run through her, if only for a moment.

Unohana slipped into Toushirou's room a few minutes after arriving, leaving Isane to talk with Ukitake. Toushirou was sleeping lightly, his breathing shallow and semi-normal. He grabbed at the sheets, fisting them in his hand, and Unohana decided it was time to wake the boy. "Toushirou," she said, not too loudly but still speaking normally. The boy woke up quickly, eyes shooting open and sitting up in his bed. He eyed Unohana warily.

"What are you doing here?" Distrust was in his voice.

"Nice to see you, too, Toushirou,' Unohana said, smiling a little at the boy's temper.

"Now isn't the time for pleasantries," Toushirou snapped, crossing his arms and looking away from the doctor. Unohana sighed and walked up to the boy.

"You're right Toushirou. It isn't. You know why I'm here, right?"

Toushirou glanced at her before resuming his staring contest with the wall. "Doesn't take a rocket scientist."

"Yes," Unohana agreed, "and you're much smarter than one. You just haven't made the smartest of choices."

Toushirou turned to her, hate and doubt in his eyes. "Just do what you need to and get on with it."

Unohana nodded at the boy and began her testing. "So, you've remembered something from your past?"

Toushirou flinched before nodding.

"Can you tell me about it?"

Toushirou took a few deep breaths, nodding slowly. "I was in a room, and there was blood everywhere. I…I think my mother was d-dead there, and M-Momo." It was hard for him to talk about those people. "Someone started to call my name, and that was it."

"Who called your name, Toushirou?" Unohana asked, her expression unreadable.

Toushirou just shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know anything." He looked up at Unohana. "Who were those people?" His eyes were pleading, hoping for Unohana to give him the answers he so desperately wanted.

Unohana smiled sadly at the teen. "I'm sorry, Toushirou, but we've been over this. If you don't remember, it's because your body is protecting you. You'll understand in due time."

Teal eyes closed in defeat. "You're right." He stayed like this for a few minutes, and Unohana got up to leave.

"I can tell you this though."

Toushirou looked to where the doctor was standing at the door frame.

"We all care about you, Toushirou. And your mother and Momo loved you very much." Unohana gave him a small smile. "You know who else loves you?"

Toushirou looked at her with a confused look on his face. "Who?"

"We all do. Me, Isane, Ukitake, Rangiku"-the boy cringed when she said that-"and Rukia."

Toushirou's eyes widened. "Rukia?"

"Yes. She's been asking about you all the time."

"How is she?" Toushirou asked sheepishly.

"She's getting better, and soon she'll be able to leave the hospital. Her sight hasn't gotten any better, and she'll be blind for the rest of her life."

Toushirou frowned. "So the operations didn't work?" Unohana shook her head sadly.

"No. We haven't been able to contact any of her family either."

"So what will she do after she's done treatment?"

"Who knows?" Unohana said. "We're trying our best to find her a home." She smiled at Toushirou. "I'll leave you alone. You should get some sleep. You should be fine, but if you feel restless, take some sleeping medication and it'll help."

"Thank you."

"It was good seeing you, Toushirou. Next time I come down, I'll bring Rukia with me."

He nodded sleepily. "Okay."

"Oh, and Toushirou?"

"Yes?"

"I heard that there is a new girl staying here."

"Yeah," Toushirou said, thinking about how he brushed her off the other day. A pang of regret went through him.

"Get to know her," Unohana told him. "You never know, she might need you as well as you need her."

Unohana closed the door to let him rest.

**A/N:**

**Awwww crap. Not only was that a really late update, but Toushirou and Karin still haven't met. Dammit. This was going to be longer, and they would have met, but then it would have been twice the size and taken me even longer to update because I'm supposed to be studying for finals. -_-**

**How about a compromise? Nobody shoots me for lying (really sorry about that!) and I'll update by the end of my weekend (I'm off Monday and Tuesday, so I'll have more time to write. I do need to study for finals…). Does that sound good?**

**Rukia will be reappearing soon. How does that sound? And she'll have a connection with Ichigo's past…dun dun dun. **

**Review? I know I don't deserve it at all, but pwetty pwease? **

**tealeyedmoon69 out**


	8. A Second Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

"So how is he doing?" Ukitake asked as Unohana emerged from Toushirou's room. Isane was standing close by, awaiting the doctor's answer.

"He'll be fine. If he has problems, give him these." She handed Ukitake a bottle of sleeping pills. "Keep him out of his site," she warned, remembering all too well what happened the last time he had them. **(a/n: 1st chapter)**

Ukitake nodded, grabbing the bottle and tucking them into his pocket. "I will."

Unohana smiled at him. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Juushirou?"

"Yes," Ukiatke agreed. "At least a while since we've been able to meet without Toushirou being a factor."

Unohana smiled. "That boy certainly knows how to make himself everyone's business."

Ukiatke let out a laugh. "That he does." The laughter died down after a few moments.

"So I hear you have a new girl under your care?" Unohana said, not trying to pry but curious.

"Yes," Ukitake said, shifting uncomfortably. "I found her the other night on the streets."

Unohana sighed, looking at her friend sternly. He looked away sheepishly.

"I couldn't leave her," he protested. "What if she was kidnapped?"

"Juushirou," Unohana said, sighing. "You take her in when you don't even know who she is?"

Ukitake looked at her sadly. "I know all well who she is. And if you met her, you would too."

Unohana raised her eyebrows, and Ukitake motioned for her to follow him. She did, Isane trailing behind. They entered the kitchen, where they could peer into the living room. Karin was still there with Rangiku. When Unohana saw her, her eyes widened.

"That's Isshin's girl," she whispered, drawing in a breath. Yes, it could only be her. Unohana had worked with Isshin for years, and she knew of Karin. Though it had been years since she had last seen her in person, Isshin had brought in pictures of his girls, and those pictures were still on his desk, a thin line of dust over them as no one wanted to clean up and pack away anything.

"Ukiatke," Unohana said, her tone enough to make the man look at her. "What is she doing here?"

"I already told, you I f-"

"I mean," Unohana cut in, "isn't she supposed to be in a foster home?"

Ukitake was quiet. "I can only guess that she ran away," he replied eventually.

"You need to call and tell them you have her," Unohana said. "If you don't want her to leave, then tell them you wish to foster her. But Ukitake, they haven't found the killer yet, and her life could be in danger."

Ukitake looked at Unohana with a questioning look. "I thought that it was just a robbery?"

Unohana shook her head. "That's not even close to the truth, Juushirou."

Toushirou woke up the next day to a loud banging in the kitchen and swearing. He got out of bed and shook his head, feeling drowsy even after all the sleep he got. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was actually late in the day, and he had been asleep for well over twelve hours. He decided that it was time to go out and not only discover what was happening in the kitchen, but make himself some food.

In the hall, he caught a glimpse of his face and looked at it in disgust; there were bags under his eyes, and he looked a lot paler than he usually was, which, in his opinion, was quite hard to do. He turned away from his reflection and continued to the kitchen, where the noise was growing. Toushirou was actually surprised that no one had come to see what was going on yet.

"Shi-crap," a voice growled, and Toushirou almost smiled. He opened the door to the kitchen, revealing Karin going through the different shelves.

"Toushirou leaned up against the doorframe. "What are you doing?" he asked, half amused. He remembered what Unohana told him.

"_Get to know her," Unohana told him. "You never know, she might need you as well as you need her."_

Karin jumped, looking over to Toushirou. Her eyes changed from shocked to worried to angry in a matter of seconds, making Toushirou's lips twitch up into a smirk.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she ground out.

"Making a mess of the place, that's what." Toushirou regarded the kitchen, all of the pots strewn and the various ingredients spilled on the counter.

"Shut up," Karin said, a light blush gracing her cheeks. She turned away. "Who asked you anyways?"

"Toushirou bit back his remark. "Where is everyone?" he decided to ask instead.

"They all are out. I didn't feel like going anywhere so Ukitake let me stay behind." She shrugged. "They'll be back in a few hours."

Toushirou nodded, falling silent. He took the time to look at the girl in front of him. She had to be about his age, judging by looks alone. She seemed quite athletic, and she had a small inkling of what she was doing in the kitchen; a very small inkling.

Karin turned around to face him. "What? Are you just going to stand there?"

Toushirou pushed off from the wall, walking over to the fridge. "No. I'm going to get some food and then continue watching you make a mess." He pulled out some eggs, milk, and orange juice, setting them down on the counter. Karin stopped what she was doing to watch as Toushirou cracked some eggs into a bowl before whisking them, adding salt, pepper, and milk. He grabbed a pan and placed it on the oven, putting butter in it and waiting for it to heat up to pour the mixture into it.

"What?" he asked her as he finished making his eggs.

Karin looked at him incredulously. "What are you doing?"

"Making scrambled eggs, ever heard of them?" he replied. Karin narrowed her eyes.

"That is not how you make eggs."

"Yes, it is," he retorted, pushing the solidifying eggs around with a spatula. He turned off the burner when the eggs were finished.

Toushirou grabbed two bowls and portioned the eggs into them, handing one to Karin.

She looked at him. "You've got to be kidding me. I can't eat this."

"Then don't." Toushirou poured himself a glass of orange juice and sat on the counter.

Karin waited for him to take a bite first. When he didn't start convulsing, she took a hesitant bite.

Her eyes widened. Not only were they edible, but they tasted good. Toushirou watched her as she started to attack the eggs, a smirk on his face.

"Are they good?"

"Shut up," Karin said, her mouth full. She grabbed a glass and got herself some orange juice as well, drinking about half before setting it down. "How did you learn to cook like that?"

Toushirou looked away. "I had a lot of time to learn." He finished up his eggs and smirked again. "Where do you learn to cook?"

Karin laughed. "I didn't. My…sister was the one who cooked in my family." She became quiet, looking down at the floor.

"_Get to know her," Unohana told him. "You never know, she might need you as well as you need her."_

Toushirou swallowed the rest of his orange juice and jumped to the ground. "C'mon," he said, throwing the bowls into the sink. "We've got a huge mess to clean up." He looked at Karin, waiting fro her reaction.

Karin stared at the teal-eyed teen for a moment before smiling. "Shut up."

**A/N:**

**Ah ha! How's that for an update! Yesh! And it actually wasn't short and wimpy. **

**I don't think much happened in this chapter though. Okay, so Ukitake and Unohana talked, and Toushirou and Karin met, but that's it. -_- **

**Yeah, that's actually how I make eggs. My friends call me strange cuz of it, but they actually are good. And now I really want them. XD Yeah, about the A/N in the story, if anyone forgot, Toushirou tried to overdose on pills before. Oh yeah, that reminds me. I fixed the previous chapters, so now they are all correct. **

**I totally forgot what a spatula was when writing this, so I took one and went up to my sister asking her what it was. She couldn't answer because she was laughing too much. Yeah, I'm stupid. **

**Review please? I'll love you all forever, not that I don't already. ^^**

**tealeyedmoon69 out**


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